Shoe



April 14, l931- c. A. MALSBUR'Y ET AL 1,801,051

` SHOE Filed March 6, 1930 Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. MALSIBUIRY `AND FLORENCE E. MAIiSBURY, 0F J'OPLIN, MISSOURI SHOE Application led March 6, 1930. Serial No. 433,570.

This invention relates to improvements in shoes, and has special reference to means for preventing the tongues of shoes from creeping or working toward one side, and for positively holding the tongues centered across the laced openings of the shoes.

It is a familiar fact within the experience of nearly every one that the tongues of shoes, which are intended to span the laced openings or slits at the front of laced shoes, and to cover the insteps of the wearers, and to protect the instepsfrom the pressure of the shoe laces and eyelets, often Work or creep toward one side,leaving an uncovered space between one side edge of the tongue and the adjacent edge portion of `the shoe upper. This is objectionable for many reasons. It leaves that portion of the instep of the wearer exposed and subject to the pressure of the shoe laces and eyelets, and also leaves a portion of the hosiery exposed to view between the side edge of the shoe tongue and the adjacent side edge of the shoe upper, thus de tracting from the o'eneral appearance desired.

An object of th providemeans in connection with the shoe tongue, constructed and arranged to be engaged by the shoe lace in such a way as to hold the shoe tongue in the proper relation- 80 ship and arrangement and positively prevent the shoe tongue from working toward either Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being made to the acccompanying drawing, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the invention in solid lines embodied in a shoe, outlined in broken lines.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a portion of the tongue having the lace-engaging members attached thereto.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan view with parts broken away, showing an appropriate construction of the lace-engaging members.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of a portion of a shoe tongue showing an alternative form of laceengaging device attached thereto.

e present invention is to Fig. 6 is a sectional viewon the line 6 6 of Fig. 5.

The shoe 1 is of familiar construction. The upper of this shoe has at its front a slit 2 provided with marginal portions 3 of the upper. A row of eyelets 4 extends along each marginal portion 3 anda shoe string or lace 5 is laced through the eyelets 4 in a familiar manner and for a well known purpose.

These shoes are provided with tongues often composed of a strip of leather 6 form ing the front or outer surface of the tongue and a backing or lining 7 often composed of some textile fabric. The lining o1' reinforcement 7 is usually of slightly narrower width than the part, and these parts 6 and 7 are secured together by a row of stitches Sextending through said yparts near the marginal edge of the lining or reinforcement 7. The lower end of this tongue is attached to the shoe upper, leaving the side portions of the tongue detached from the shoe upper nearly throughout the length of the tongue.

.This tongue is of sufficient width to span the slit 2 `when the shoe is worn and laced on the footof the wearer. It is of suflicient width so that its side edges extend beyond the eyelets 4 in order to protect the foot of the wearer from the uncomfortable effect of the pressure of the shoe lace and the eyelets against the instep, which would occur if the tongue were not present to function as a shield. This tongue extends the full length ofthe slit 2, having its lower end below theA lower end of said slit and itsupper end usually slightly above the upper edge of the shoe upper.

It is a familiar fact that these tongues frequently work or creep toward one side or the other, thus exposing a part of the instep to the uncomfortable pressure of the shoe lace and shoe eyelets, and at the same time, creating a somewhat unsightly effect by exposing a partof the hosiery between one of the side edges of the tongue and the adjacent marginal portion 3 of the shoe upper.

The embodiment ofthe invention shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, comprises a pair of tongues having their outer ends attached to the marginal portions of the shoe tongue and having their inner portions detached from the shoe tongue and provided with holes or eyelets through which the shoe lace 5 may beV laced or threaded. Each` of these tongues Acomprises a section 9 of leather or the like forming the exposed front surface, and a reinforcing section 10 of some substantially non-elastic textile fabric secured and fastened to the section 9 by glue l1, or vothervappropriete fastening means. Two of these ace-engagingV tongues are attached tothe shoe tongue by appropriate fastening means through which the shoe lace or stringov may be passed in any suitable manner,- as suggested by Fig; 1" ofv the drawing; These la'eee; engaging tongues areY p made of sui'neient length so that the shoesY may lhe worn by wearers having high insteps'or by' wearersi having low insteps,v and so that the-lace' or string 5 maybe passed through" any appropri'ate ones of the holes 13".

In? the variation of the' invention 'shown in Figs- 5'- and 6i, the lace-engaging? mem-ber' is composed oftwo thicknessesof' material,

including an outer or frontv piece l'lflofleather or the like', and an` inner lining or' reinforceLA menti l5 fof substantially non-elas-tic'fabri'c;

Y 'lhese two members 14- and I5- are-attached together by' glue H5 or'other appropriate fastenilngl means,V and are` attached tothel shoeV tongue by appropriately arranged stitches" 117. This leaves the lateral arginal portions of this lace-engaging member detached from l the'sli'oe'tongue, and' through each of these lfaterall'marginal portions of the lace-engag; ing member a hole S isfformed. V'I'hrloughf the holes f8 theA shoe lface orstr-'ing5is1in'-y tended to bepassed? in'- the' manner indicated infFig. Theendsfof the'shoel'ace arethen tied orknott'ed so thattheA margin-al por-'tions of the lace-engaging member are at oppositesi'd'esof the knot or tie, thus` positively preventing the sho'eton'gu'e from working' later-i allyin either direction. Y

lt' is' now clear* that our all of its intended objects and' purposesiin a very etlcient and economical manner; The

provision of thesey pliable laee'-engagingvv members in connection with the shoe'tongne in no Wayl interfereswith the comfort and' ease with whichv thel shoe may be` Worn but,` on the contrary', these laceengagingmeme bers increase the comfortand ease' with which the shoema'y beworn, because-itis irn-f invention obtainsf stricting ourselves in lars, we claimzv l. In a shoe having a shoe lace and a shoe tongue at the inner side of the shoe lace, a lace. engagingmember comprising a front unessential i yI Iarticupiece of pliable material and a ieceof nonelastic pliable materiali attach f to the' ifnner side ofy said fronti piece" and cooperating therewith-` toformv a' 'tongueA having holes therethrough' for the passagev ofthe shoe lace; and for attaching one end of said lace engaging tongue tosaid shoetongue-. In. a shoe having a shoe Iaco and a'- shoe tongue at thel inner' side ofthe shoe lace, a? lace engaging' member' comprising an outer plyV ofelastio pliable materiali andf' auf ril-'yr of non-elasticv material attached to the"V inner side of said outer plyand* cooperating therewith toform a lace engaging member having' a laceL receiving hole therethrough; and means for'attaching said' laeef engaging member tofsaid tongue at a distance saidhole. Y f' 3'. In a shoe lafvinga shoe and aslwie tongueat the inner side of' the shoe lace, a lace engaging member comprising ami outer ply' of'v elastic pliable material a'lndan inner plyV of; non-elastic mata'ial attael-iedfto they inner side'of said outerplly' andv cooperating: therewith toA form a laceI engagi-'ngmember having a pai'rof spaced lace receivingT holes therethrough, and' means for attaching" saridl lace receiving member to sai'dftongue between saidv holes.

4. In a shoe having a shoe lace and a shoe tongue at the' inner side of" the shoe lace, as lace engagingmemher comprising a piece of pliable material having a hole therethrough" for thel passage of the shoela'ce,. means for attaching oneend ofsaid lace engagingmenr Y ber to said shoe tongue", andnon-elastic plf` able means in connection Wit'lll said Iaceenfy gaging member preventing stretching and distortion of'sa'id lace engaging member.

CHARLES/*An MLSBURY.'

FLORENCE n. Mansnmrr.

may be found appropriate, and without re- Y 

